BUS & Transportation

How do I find out what bus my child will take to Marshall? 

Children who will be bused to Marshall will receive their bus assignment along with a Transportation Safety Rules & Guidelines pamphlet in the mail the middle of August. Your child should carry the bus pass in their backpack at all times. Make sure your child knows the "color" of the bus route listed on the Bus Pass. School staff will dismiss students by bus color and escort them to the appropriate bus. A parent/guardian must get their child off the bus at the assigned bus stop (listed on the bus pass).

How do I get busing for my child?

If you live in an eligible area for your child to be bused, an application form must be completed each year, which is usually sent home in the spring for the next school year. For those who are new to the district or missed the form in the spring please follow the link below to the Public School Transportation Form.  

All transportation questions can be directed to the Transportation Department at (973) 378-9617 or the website.

SOMSD Transportation Department

The Board of Education is required to provide round trip transportation between home and school for South Orange and Maplewood resident elementary students (grades K-8) who live more than 2 miles from their assigned school.

Elementary Schools 

Students are generally assigned to attend a school near their home and are not eligible for transportation. The district may assign a student to attend a school outside of his or her home area for a specific reason such as the pairing of Jefferson and Marshall or to receive a service or program only offered at another school (e.g., ESL, Demonstration Program at Seth Boyden). If the district makes the assignment and the school attended is more than one mile from the student's home, the student is eligible for transportation as long as he or she continues to receive the service or remains in the program. An application form must be submitted annually for all eligible students.

Occasionally, a parent/guardian may request that a student transfer to a school outside his or her home area.  In this case, the district may approve the parent's transfer request for school assignment but district will not provide transportation.

A shuttle bus service is provided between South Mountain and the Annex.  Kindergarten and first grade students in the South Mountain area walk to South Mountain and are shuttled to the Annex.  Students in grades 2-5 have the option to walk to the Annex and ride the shuttle to South Mountain.  Students expecting to ride the shuttle must also submit an application in order to reserve a seat.

Application Process 

The parent/guardian must complete the application each year for each student even if transportation has been provided in the past.  Please note you must provide Emergency Contact information along with a phone number. Eligible students will not receive a bus pass until this form is completed and submitted to Transportation. The form is available from the School Office, the Transportation Department and the Registration Office.

Submit the completed application to your child's school office or mail to:

South Orange & Maplewood School District

25 W. Parker Avenue

Maplewood, NJ 07040 

Applications must be submitted on or before June 7, 2019.  Applications received after June 8 will be assigned transportation if eligible and if space is available. The process to apply for transportation will be provided when notified of the acceptance to the program.

The district will notify the parent/guardian of eligibility during the summer before school opens.  New students registered during the school year will be notified within five working days after the Transportation Department receives the application.  The parent/guardian is responsible for getting the child to school until notified in writing whether transportation by the district is available.

Students eligible for transportation will receive a bus card identifying the assigned stop and estimated pickup and drop-off times.  The child must have this card available to show the bus driver.

Special Education

Classified special education students may be eligible for transportation according to their IEP.  The Special Education Department makes these arrangements.  Contact the Department of Special Services at 973-762-5600, X1840, for more information.